Dimensions: support: 811 x 1303 mm frame: 850 x 1342 x 55 mm
Copyright: © ADAGP, Paris and DACS, London 2014 | CC-BY-NC-ND 4.0 DEED, Photo: Tate
Editor: Boris Taslitzky's 'Study for 'The Death of Danielle Casanova', currently at the Tate, evokes a profound sense of loss. What symbols do you see in this depiction of suffering? Curator: Notice how the figures, drained of color, cluster around the central figure, who is illuminated. This stark contrast symbolizes the loss of vitality, the extinguishing of a light. It recalls traditional Christian iconography, but re-imagined with the stark reality of war. Editor: So, it's like a modern-day Pieta? Curator: Precisely. The repetition of draped figures speaks to shared grief, a collective memory of trauma. Taslitzky is using visual language to connect us to the universal experience of loss under inhumane conditions. This study carries the weight of history. Editor: I see, it’s a powerful reminder of shared human experience through potent symbolism. Thank you.
Comments
http://www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/taslitzky-study-for-the-death-of-danielle-casanova-t07917
Join the conversation
Join millions of artists and users on Artera today and experience the ultimate creative platform.
While the Nazis considered modernist artto be subversive, realism could also be problematic for them. Taslitzky was among those who developed Socialist Realism to promote Communism and attack Fascism. As a member of the French Resistance, he was deported to Buchenwald concentration camp. His horrific experiences underpin this work, which commemorates the death of a leading French Communist at Auschwitz. Taslitzky’s composition concentrates the wider tragedy into the suffering of a single individual, while affirming the resilience of the human spirit. Gallery label, July 2008
CollectMore like this
